Desktop Search: A Personal Journey
My Brief History with Desktop Search
There was a time, not long ago, when Desktop Search did not exist. This was a time when searching for a document, some content within a document, or searching for mails was time consuming. I could only the search for strings within the File. This was restricted to text based files and could not be used for proprietary file formats like PDF. If I wanted to search for mails on my Outlook, it meant using the (Very Slow!) "Find" in Outlook.
Then came Google Desktop Search 1.0 (as it is now known). This meant instant liberation from the painfuly slow Windows File Search. The Google Desktop search was effective. But it searched only files in my desktop.
For me, I needed an effective tool which searches my mails. File search was not so important since I pretty much knew where my files were. But mails were the sore point. So Google Desktop did not stay in my desktop for too long. Good start but I now needed something better.
Google Desktop 2.0
Then came Google Desktop 2.0 which was a significant improvement on it's predecessor. There were snazzy things like inline search, search in mails, desktop bar, sidebar (the sidebar was interesting initially but became a pain. I need my desktop real estate, so off it went).
The most interesting feature in this version of Google Desktop was the search in mails (as a tool bar in Outlook). I desperately needed this because my mailbox began bloating up significantly. The search in Outlook was a blessing. My mails could be found, zip zap zoom!!!
Then came a new problem. The search that happens in Google Desktop search is based on a one time indexing of the files and mails on my desktop. Now the problem with this is that I don't keep files and folders in the same place all the time. Some get deleted and some get moved. The same goes for mails. I am always organizing my mail box.
Now the problem that happens with Google Desktop 2.0 is that since the indexing is one time,
many of the search results of mails or folders become dead links if their location is no longer the same. So while the search results are good, double clicking the results to open the mail used to throw an error that "..mail has either been moved or deleted". I had to live with this and my mailbox remained unorganized as a result, since I desperately needed the search feature more than anything. If I wanted to re-index my desktop it meant uninstalling and installing the Google Desktop so that the index would be built again. This I was not willing to do (nor did I have the time to)
MSN Desktop Search
Then came MSN Desktop Search, which came along with MSN Toolbar (about which I posted in my previous blog). It was exactly the thing I was looking for. The search folders are configurable. I could decide what should be searched and what need not be searched (Google was not very good at this since it wants to decide everything). And the indexing is not one time. The Windows Desktop search scans the configured folders at regular interval (or on demand) and build the indexes. If I want to rebuild the index, it is only a click away (through Desktop Search Options).
To test this, I sent a mail to myself with a unique text. Now this mail was in my Inbox and Sent Mail. I search through desktop and it correctly shows the 2 folders. Then I moved the mail to another folder and index again (a very quick process). The desktop search scans my folders. Then I search for the unique text. Now it shows the updated information and Inbox is not there. Now I remove the mail from my mail box and index again. Now the search results in no results.
Perfect fit. Just as I want it.
Now my files, folders and mails can move around freely. And my desktop lives happily ever after (so far 2 days).
There was a time, not long ago, when Desktop Search did not exist. This was a time when searching for a document, some content within a document, or searching for mails was time consuming. I could only the search for strings within the File. This was restricted to text based files and could not be used for proprietary file formats like PDF. If I wanted to search for mails on my Outlook, it meant using the (Very Slow!) "Find" in Outlook.
Then came Google Desktop Search 1.0 (as it is now known). This meant instant liberation from the painfuly slow Windows File Search. The Google Desktop search was effective. But it searched only files in my desktop.
For me, I needed an effective tool which searches my mails. File search was not so important since I pretty much knew where my files were. But mails were the sore point. So Google Desktop did not stay in my desktop for too long. Good start but I now needed something better.
Google Desktop 2.0
Then came Google Desktop 2.0 which was a significant improvement on it's predecessor. There were snazzy things like inline search, search in mails, desktop bar, sidebar (the sidebar was interesting initially but became a pain. I need my desktop real estate, so off it went).
The most interesting feature in this version of Google Desktop was the search in mails (as a tool bar in Outlook). I desperately needed this because my mailbox began bloating up significantly. The search in Outlook was a blessing. My mails could be found, zip zap zoom!!!
Then came a new problem. The search that happens in Google Desktop search is based on a one time indexing of the files and mails on my desktop. Now the problem with this is that I don't keep files and folders in the same place all the time. Some get deleted and some get moved. The same goes for mails. I am always organizing my mail box.
Now the problem that happens with Google Desktop 2.0 is that since the indexing is one time,
many of the search results of mails or folders become dead links if their location is no longer the same. So while the search results are good, double clicking the results to open the mail used to throw an error that "..mail has either been moved or deleted". I had to live with this and my mailbox remained unorganized as a result, since I desperately needed the search feature more than anything. If I wanted to re-index my desktop it meant uninstalling and installing the Google Desktop so that the index would be built again. This I was not willing to do (nor did I have the time to)
MSN Desktop Search
Then came MSN Desktop Search, which came along with MSN Toolbar (about which I posted in my previous blog). It was exactly the thing I was looking for. The search folders are configurable. I could decide what should be searched and what need not be searched (Google was not very good at this since it wants to decide everything). And the indexing is not one time. The Windows Desktop search scans the configured folders at regular interval (or on demand) and build the indexes. If I want to rebuild the index, it is only a click away (through Desktop Search Options).
To test this, I sent a mail to myself with a unique text. Now this mail was in my Inbox and Sent Mail. I search through desktop and it correctly shows the 2 folders. Then I moved the mail to another folder and index again (a very quick process). The desktop search scans my folders. Then I search for the unique text. Now it shows the updated information and Inbox is not there. Now I remove the mail from my mail box and index again. Now the search results in no results.
Perfect fit. Just as I want it.
Now my files, folders and mails can move around freely. And my desktop lives happily ever after (so far 2 days).
posted by Shailesh Nair | 1:15 PM
1 Comments:
In Google Desktop, deleted folders are a problem. But with latest Windows Desktop Search this is not a problem. I haven't used the beta of Windows Desktop Search so I can't confirm whether there was a problem. Make sure you run a "Index Now" to confirm the changes. In any case, WDS is running a background service which monitors changes in the folders and mail and would update the index files.
One more interesting phenomenon(I don't know whether to call it a problem). Search for "Message" or "Messages" in WDS. In the result windows (right at the bottom) there is a couple (or more) mail items titled Message. If you open them, it would be a blank message. I have no idea what this is.
Post a Comment
<< Home